Creating a contact group takes three steps in Outlook

A contact group (also called a distribution list) lets you send one email to multiple people at once by typing a single name. Instead of typing five email addresses separately, you type the group name once. Outlook stores the group in your contacts, and you can add or remove people from it anytime.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop for Windows, or Outlook for Mac. All three versions support contact groups, and the process takes less than a minute once you know where to look.

Key Takeaways

  • Contact groups let you email multiple people by typing one group name instead of typing or selecting each address individually.
  • In Outlook desktop, you create a group from the People tab, then add members by searching your existing contacts or typing email addresses.
  • In Outlook on the web, contact groups live under the People icon and work the same way as the desktop version.
  • Once created, a contact group appears in your address book and works in the To, Cc, and Bcc fields just like a single contact.
  • You can edit a group later to add new members, remove people, or change the group name.

Creating a contact group in Outlook desktop (Windows)

Open Outlook and click the People tab at the bottom of the window. This opens your contacts. At the top of the window, click New Contact Group (or New Group depending on your Outlook version). A blank group form appears.

Type a name for the group in the Group Name field. Use something clear — "Marketing Team" or "Monthly Dinner Friends" works better than abbreviations. Then click Add Members and choose Add from Outlook Contacts. A window opens showing your existing contacts. Click each person you want to add, then click Members to move them into the group. Click OK when you are done adding people.

If someone you want to add is not in your contacts yet, click Add Members again and choose New Email Contact. Type their name and email address, then click Add. After you finish adding all members, click Save & Close at the top of the form. The group now appears in your contacts.

Creating a contact group in Outlook on the web

Log into Outlook on the web and click the People icon on the left sidebar (it looks like a person's head). Click New Contact Group near the top of the page. A form appears asking for the group name.

Type the group name and click Add Members. Start typing a person's name or email address. Outlook shows matching contacts from your address book. Click each person you want to add. If the person is not in your contacts, type their full email address and press Enter — Outlook adds them even if they are not saved yet. When you are done, click Create to save the group.

Creating a contact group in Outlook for Mac

Click the People icon in the toolbar at the top. In the left sidebar, right-click in the empty space below your existing contacts and select New Group. A dialog box appears. Type the group name and click OK.

The new group opens. Click the plus sign (+) at the bottom to add members. A window shows your contacts. Click a person to select them, then click Add. Repeat for each member. You can also type an email address directly if the person is not in your contacts. When you are done, close the group window — it saves automatically.

Using your contact group to send email

Once the group is created, you can use it like any other contact. Open a new email and click in the To field. Start typing the group name. Outlook shows the group in the dropdown list. Click it to add the entire group to the email. You can also add the group to the Cc or Bcc fields the same way.

When you send the email, each member receives it individually — they do not see the other members' addresses unless you put the group in the To field instead of Bcc. If you want members to see each other's addresses, use To. If you want to keep addresses private, use Bcc.

Editing or deleting a contact group

To change a group after you create it, open your contacts and find the group name. Double-click it to open the group form. You can now add new members by clicking Add Members, or remove existing members by clicking their name and pressing Delete. Click Save & Close when you are done.

To delete an entire group, right-click the group name in your contacts and select Delete. This removes the group but does not delete the individual contacts inside it. Those people remain in your address book.

Contact groups vs. forwarding lists

A contact group is different from forwarding an email to multiple people. When you use a group, you type one name and Outlook handles sending to everyone. When you forward, you manually add each address or forward to people one at a time. Groups save time if you email the same set of people regularly.

Contact groups also stay in your contacts permanently, so you can use them again and again. If someone's email changes, you edit the group once and the change applies to every email you send to that group going forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a contact group from people in an email thread?

Not directly from the thread, but you can open each person's contact card and add them to a group manually. A faster way is to create the group first, then add members by typing their email addresses or searching your contacts.

What happens if I add someone to a group and then delete them from my contacts?

The person stays in the group. Deleting a contact does not remove them from groups that contain them. You must edit the group separately and remove them manually if you no longer want to email them as part of that group.

Can I create a group of groups?

No. Outlook does not support nested groups — you cannot add one group inside another group. You can only add individual contacts or email addresses to a group.

Do contact groups work the same way in Outlook and Gmail?

Gmail calls them "contact groups" too, but they work slightly differently. Outlook groups are stored in Outlook; Gmail groups are stored in Google Contacts. If you use both, you need to create separate groups in each service.

Can I share a contact group with someone else?

In Outlook desktop and on the web, contact groups are personal and do not share directly. You can tell someone the group members and they can create their own group, or you can forward an email to the group and they can reply-all to reach everyone.